Oleinik, Ivan Yakovlevich

Born May 1, 1922 in the city of Zolochev, Kharkov region of Ukraine. Ukrainian. He graduated from high school and in 1939 - Kherson financial and economic college. He worked as a tax inspector in Zmievsky district of Kharkov region .

In June 1941 he was drafted into the Red Army . In 1943 he graduated from the aviation school of pilots in the city of Cheboksary. In the battles of World War II from September 1943. Since March 1944, he fought as part of the 717th night bomber regiment, flew on a U-2 plane.

On the night of January 17, 1945, near the village of Volynyav, junior lieutenant Oleinik and navigator senior sergeant Miransky discovered a convoy of cars with darkened headlights entering the forest. The crew carried out reconnaissance of the forest from a height of 500 m with muffled engines, having found the enemy, carried out bombing. As a result of a direct hit, two outbreaks of fire formed, presumably - ammunition depots.

By order of the 242nd night bomber aviation division of March 20, 1945, the junior lieutenant Oleinik Ivan Yakovlevich was awarded the Order of Glory of the 3rd degree.

On the night of February 17, 1945, on the north-western outskirts of Frankfurt an der Oder, junior lieutenant Oleinik and navigator senior sergeant Miransky blew up an ammunition depot. On the night of March 26, after a targeted bombing of the Kustrin fortress, the crew caused an explosion of great force, accompanied by a fire that was visible from the airfield.

By April 1945, Junior Lieutenant Oleinik made 88 successful sorties on a Po-2 aircraft, of which 15 were reconnaissance. He participated in the battles for the liberation of the Polish cities of Stargard, Naugard, Poltsin. He was presented for awarding the Order of Glory of the 2nd degree.

By order of the troops of the 16th Air Army dated May 5, 1945, Junior Lieutenant Oleinik Ivan Yakovlevich was awarded the Order of Glory of the 2nd degree.

At the final stage of the war, he made several more sorties, in which he again distinguished himself. On the night of April 22, 1945, the crew of Oleinik - Miransky bombed a large warehouse with ammunition with precision bombing near the village of Bossen Oleinik. On May 8, the regiment commander was presented for awarding the Order of Glory of the 1st degree. The award sheet was signed by the division commander, but apparently an error occurred at the army headquarters and the documents did not go any further.

By order of the troops of the 16th Air Army of June 4, 1945, Junior Lieutenant Oleinik Ivan Yakovlevich was awarded the Order of Glory of the 3rd degree again.

In November 1945, Junior Lieutenant Oleinik was transferred to the reserve.

He returned to his homeland. He worked as the director of the Zolochevsky district food factory, as a mechanic at the motor depot.

By a decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of June 7, 1968, the order for awarding the Order of Glory of the 3rd degree of June 4, 1945 was canceled and Oleinik Ivan Yakovlevich was awarded the Order of Glory of the 1st degree. He became the full holder of the Order of Glory.

Later he moved to the city of Kharkov. He worked as a mechanic and mechanic at Dynamo Sports Complex. He lived in the city of Kharkov. He died on December 23, 1991.

He was awarded the orders of the Patriotic War of the 1st degree, Glories of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd degrees, medals.

• Cavaliers of the Order of Glory of three degrees: A Brief Biographical Dictionary / Prev. ed. collegium D. S. Sukhorukov . - M .: Military Publishing House , 2000 .-- 703 p. - 10,000 copies. - ISBN 5-203-01883-9 .
• Full Knights of the Order of Glory. Biographical Dictionary. T.2. M .: Military Publishing, 2010

Ivan Yakovlevich Oleinik (Russian) . Site " Heroes of the country ". Date of treatment September 6, 2014.